Coroner: LaBute was dead before he was put in water

The cause of Short North man Joey LaBute’s death was officially listed as “unconfirmed” by the Franklin County coroner’s office today.

No signs of water were found in his lungs or stomach, leading investigators to believe he was dead before he was put in the water.

LaBute’s case is still being actively investigated.

4/22/16: Police release surveillance footage of Joey LaBute

Columbus Police released surveillance footage yesterday taken the night 26-year-old Joey LaBute disappeared.

The footage shows LaBute on the dance floor and exiting the bathroom at the Short North bar Union Café about seven minutes before he vanished

LaBute was found dead in the Scioto River several weeks after his disappearance, and Columbus Police are still investigating his case.

They say they’re going through a “huge amount of information” related to his case, and the photos in question were only discovered last Thursday.

Anyone with information about his disappearance is asked to call Columbus Police at 614-645-4545.

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Photo credit: Columbus Police

3/31/16: Confirmed: body found in Scioto River is Joey LaBute

Columbus Police confirmed today that the body found in the Scioto River is Joey LaBute, the 26-year-old man who went missing from the Union Café in the Short North on March 5.

LaBute’s body was found near the Whittier Peninsula in the Scioto Audubon Metro Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The findings come only days after Dateline NBC published a national story on LaBute and his family’s struggles.

After LaBute went missing there was an outpouring of community support to search for him, with almost 200 Columbus residents combing the area he was last seen in the days after his disappearance.

Medical testing performed Wednesday did not reveal an obvious cause of death like a gunshot or a stab wound. Columbus police said further testing to determine other causes of death could take weeks.

3/30/16: Body found in Scioto River, autopsy today

The Dive Team of the Columbus Division of Police recovered the body of a man in his 20s from the Scioto River yesterday afternoon.

Police said the body was in good condition, and they are considering the death suspicious.

The body has since been delivered to the Franklin County Coroner’s office, where an autopsy will be performed this morning. It is expected that the man’s identity will be released upon completion of the autopsy.

Police are holding a press conference today, so expect updates on this developing story.

3/29/16: Dateline NBC draws national attention to Joey LaBute

As the search for missing Short North man Joey LaBute enters its fourth week, efforts have intensified as Dateline NBC drew national attention to the search and the struggles of his family.

In a featured post on NBC’s national “Missing in America” series, the news program gave a recap of LaBute’s story, telling about how he mysteriously disappeared from the Union Café in the Short North on March 5 and has not been heard from since.

NBC also spoke with the LaBute family.

“You have to go with your gut on what you’re feeling, and we still believe he is out there alive somewhere, somewhere against his will,” Julie Holly, LaBute’s aunt told Dateline. “We’re holding on to our faith until something tells us otherwise.”

Anyone with information about LaBute is encouraged to contact the Columbus Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 614-645-4624.

To read the full story see the link below.

3/28/16: Three weeks on Joey LaBute is still missing

Joey LaBute, the 26-year-old man who disappeared from Union Café in the early morning of March 5, is still missing as of today.

Last Saturday marked three weeks to the day since LaBute vanished.

A search for LaBute took place on March 12 that was organized through social media. Almost 200 people participated, combing the surrounding area for any traces of the missing man.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that police have had few updates on LaBute’s location, though surveillance video from Union and surrounding businesses have been analyzed.

Family and friends of LaBute are still sharing his photo, hoping to spread word of his disappearance.

Anyone with information about LaBute is encouraged to contact the Columbus Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 614-645-4624.

3/10/16: The search continues for missing Short North man

It’s been five days since 26-year-old Joey LaBute went missing from the Union Café on March 5, and authorities and family members are still continuing their search.

Yesterday authorities turned to surveillance video for clues, though no new information has surfaced today.

After family members didn’t hear from him for a few days and he didn’t show up for work on Monday, an investigation was launched into his disappearance.

Joey is described as white male, 5’9’’, 135 pounds with brown hair and eyes. If you have any information about LaBute contact Columbus Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at 614-645-4624.

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